He raved about his senior point guard Brandon Wade on Tuesday, right after he scored a team-high 21 points to lead the Eagles to a 58-49 win over visiting Huron.

“What he has been doing, he has not skipped a night the entire year,” Lovelace said of Wade, a four-year started and Duquesne signee. “He has played a great game every time he’s come out. He has not had a letdown I can remember. He prepares himself. He is the leader on this team.

“The other teams know he is the leader, and he still gets it done night in and night out.”

Wade helped jumpstart Skyline in the third quarter, making two 3-pointers to help turn a 25-25 tie at halftime into a 40-28 lead.

The River Rats ended the quarter on an 8-0 run to cut their deficit to five, but the Eagles, ranked No. 2 in Class A in the latest Associated Press poll, thwarted any comeback attempt in the fourth quarter to remain undefeated. They improve to 15-0 and 7-0 in the Southeastern Conference Red Division.

“It is definitely getting to be a whole different feel,” Wade said of the team’s unbeaten season. “When it comes to March Madness, we are all excited. We are going to have a big target on our back, especially after the season we are having. We are just mentally preparing for each practice, each game.”

Wade has scored in double figures in every game this season and entered the game averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. He is a strong candidate to be a Mr. Basketball finalist, but said his focus remains on the team.

“I don’t really think about it,” he said. “It is just an award. To even be considered a Mr. Basketball candidate, it is all a blessing. I’m not exactly paying attention to it, just trying to help my team win.”